Reversible sponge rubber mop, brush or duster

ABSTRACT

A reversible sponge rubber brush, mop or duster which includes a resiliently compressible rectangular block of a synthetic or sponge rubber having rectangular side portions and opposite end portions of a substantially square section with the length of the sponge rubber block being substantially greater than the width thereof, and in which rectangular block there may be provided peripherally extending slots which effectively divide the block into four rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions which are interconnected within the block by an inner resilient web portion of the block located inwardly of the opposite end and side portions of the block and effectively defined by the slots extending peripherally of the side and end portions of the block. The peripheral slots in the resilient block are so arranged that a wire form or loop of a rigid material provides a holder for the resilient sponge rubber block. The wire loop may be selectively recieved in the slots extending peripherally in the sides and end portions of the block to present for use a work surface of one or another of the rectangularly shaped resilient sponge rubber portions of the sponge rubber block. Thus, there is provided a reversible sponge rubber brush, mop or duster including rectangular portions providing four working sides or surfaces, each of which may be selectively exposed to a surface to be cleaned.

United States Patent [191 Siemund 1 Jan. 29, 1974 1 1 REVERSIBLE SPONGE RUBBER MOP,

BRUSH OR DUSTER Herbert A. Siemund, 2800 N. Lake Shore Dr. Apt. 320, Chicago, 111. 60657 22 Filed: May 16, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 253,880

[76] Inventor:

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,453,677 7/1969 Cutler 15/228 X 126,399 5/1872 Kerr 15/244 R 3,012,265 12/1961 Courtenay 15/244 CH 856,733 6/1907 Saffold 15/209 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 86,281 10/1955 Norway 15/244 CH 149,819 7/1937 Austria 15/244 CH 1,346,521 11/1963 France 15/244 R Primary ExaminerDaniel Blum Attorney, Agent, or FirmRichard J. Cowling [57] ABSTRACT A reversible sponge rubber brush, mop or duster which includes a resiliently compressible rectangular block of a synthetic or sponge rubber having rectangular side portions and opposite end portions of a substantially square section with the length of the sponge rubber block being substantially greater than the width thereof, andin which rectangular block there may be provided peripherally extending slots which effectively divide the block into four rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions which are interconnected within the block by an inner resilient web portion of the block located inwardly of the opposite end and side portions of the block and effectively defined by the slots extending peripherally of the side and end portions of the block. The peripheral slots in the resilient block are so arranged that a wire form or loop of a rigid material provides a holder for the resilient sponge rubber block. Thewire loop may be selectively recieved in the slots extending peripherally in the sides and end portions of the block to present for use a work surface of one or another of the rectangularly shaped resilient sponge rubber portions of the sponge rubber block. Thus, there is provided a reversible sponge rubber brush, mop or duster including rectangular portions providing four working sides or surfaces, each of which may be selectively exposed to a surface to be cleaned.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures REVERSIBLE SPONGE RUBBER MOP, BRUSH OR DUSTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to a field of sponge rubber mop, brush or cluster with a substantially foam bodyconstructed to be reversible so as to expose various surfaces to a work surface.

2. Prior Art of the Invention Heretofore, there has been provided a wire loop or hoop of a rigid material arranged to serve as a reinforcing member for mounting a pair of sponge rubber blocks, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,138,010, granted Nov. 29, 1938, to Robert K. Metcalf.

There has been further noted a U. S. Pat. No. 3,012,265, granted Dec. 12, 1961, to Charles R. Courtney, disclosing a sponge mop with four working sides each of which may be selectively exposed by removing the same and replacing the sponge in a handle as disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof.

Other patents noted of interest include U.S.- Pat. No.

2,413,872, granted Jan. 7, 1947, to Alfred W. Hoyer;

U. S. Pat. No. 2,572,978, granted Oct. 30, 1951, to Felix K. Bogan; U. S. Pat. No. 2,602,948, granted July 15, 1952, to William E. Kautenberg; and U. S. Pat. No. 3,166,774, granted Jan. 26, 1965, to Josef Blum.

There is no suggestion in any of the aforementioned patents of a sponge-like rectangular block effectively divided by peripherally extending slots into rectangular portions cooperatively arranged for the selective insertion into the peripherally extending pairs of the'slots of a wire loop holder in the manner of the present invention so as to expose a working side of a different one of the rectangular portions of the resilient sponge rubber block to a work surface.

The device of the present invention is of that class of worthy and sustainable inventions, whereby in adding a new idea and a new feature, particularly in the peripherally slotted sponge rubber block and rigid wire loop holder in which the 'block may be selectively inserted by the operator, there may be effected in the assembling of older featuresin a given implement an improved result which may be reached with less expense. Moreover, the present invention rests in a conception which simplifies the structures of the sponge rubber mop, brush or duster disclosed in the aforenoted U. S. Pats. Nos. 2,138,010 and 3,012,265 and in the other aforementioned patents, particularly in reducing the number of parts. Thus, the improved assemblage of the implement of the present invention is effected by a single rectangular sponge rubber block peripherally slotted in the manner herein disclosed and adapted to be selectively received in a rigid wire form or loop-holder carried by an implement handle so as to expose different surfaces of the'several selectively effective portions of the sponge rubber block toa work surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION a different or new wearing orwork edge or surface to the work.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mop, brush or duster, including a readily reversible rectangular sponge rubber block having peripheral slots arranged to selectively receive therein a rigid wire loop holder carried by the handle of an implement which holds the block in predetermined shape so as to be readily operable by the operator by manual manipulation of the handle; while at the same time permitting the manufacture and sale of the complete mop, brush or duster at a low cost.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention are pointed outin the following description in terms of the embodiments thereof which are shown in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sponge rubber mop, brush or duster embodying my invention with a portion of the resilient rectangular sponge rubber block broken away to illustrate the rigidwire loop holder in an operative position in one of a pair of peripherally extending slots arranged in.a right angular relation in opposite sides and end portions of -the block and about a portion of an inner interconnecting web portion for four rectangular sponge rubber portions of the sponge rubber block.

FIG. 2 is an end sectional view of FIG. 1, illustrating the square end section of the sponge rubber block and showing the rigid wire loop holder in an operative position in one of the pair of peripheral slots in the opposite side and end portions of the block, and illustrating one of the slots extending in substantially a horizontal plane and the other slot extending insubstantially a vertical plane in the square end section of the block.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the rectangular sponge rubber block of FIG. 1 with the upper half of the block broken away and showing in section the inner interconnecting web portion for the rectangular sponge rubber portions of the block with the rigid wire loop holder shown in an operative position in a peripherally extending slot of the block and about a portion of the inner interconnecting web portion for the rectangular sponge rubber portions of the block.

DESCRIPTION OF'TI-IE INVENTION Referring to the drawings of FIGS. 1 through 3, inclusive, there is indicated by the numeral 10 a resiliently compressible rectangular block of a synthetic or sponge rubber having a substantially square end section, as shown by FIG. 2. The length of the rectangular sponge rubber block 10 is several times greater than the width thereof.

Further, there are provided peripherally extending slots 12-16, and 14-18 in the center of each of the respective sides of the resilient sponge rubber block 10. As shown by FIGS. 1 and 2, the peripheral-slot 12-16 extends in substantially a horizontal plane and the peripheral slot 14-18 extends in substantially a vertical plane so as to effectively divide the block 10 into four rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions 20, 22, 24 and 26 which portions are interconnected within the resilient sponge rubber block by a resilient web portion 28 located inwardly of the opposite sides and ends of the sponge rubber block 10..

The peripheral slots l2-1 6 an d 14-18 in the resilient sponge rubber block 10 are 50 arranged that a wire form or loop 30 of a rigid material may be selectively received in one or the other of the peripheral slots 12-16 or 14-18 to provide a holder for the block 10.

The wire loop holder 30 has a shape which generally corresponds to that of the rectangular block 10, and have end portions 32 which are relatively close together and may be twisted one about the other, and, in this position, may extend through the slot 12 and be readily secured in a lower end portion 34 of an operating handle 36, as illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring now to FIG. 3, while the shape of this wire loop holder 30 generally corresponds to that of the resilient rectangular block 10, the wire loop holder 30 is somewhat smaller in size than the size of the sponge rubber block 10, but is sufficiently large that, upon being received in the peripheral slot 12-16 or 14-18, the wire loop holder 30 may be positioned about the web portion 28 interconnecting the rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions 20, 22, 24 and 26 of the block 10.

The slotted sponge rubber block is thus held in position in the wire loop holder 30. The sponge rubber block 10 has sufficient resilience that it may be conveniently removed by the operator. The block 10 thus may be turned or angularly positioned in relation to the wire loop holder 30 so as to expose a new wearing edge or surface of one or another of the four rectangular shaped sponge rubber portions 20, 22, 24 and 26 of the block 10 to a work surface.

There is thus provided a reversible, sponge rubber mop, brush or duster, including the four rectangular portions 20, 22, 24 and 26, providing four working sides, each of which can be selectively exposed to the work or surface to be cleaned.

I claim:

1. In a device of a type including a resilient rectangular sponge rubber block, and rigid holder means including a rigid wire loop secured to a handle; the improvement comprising the resilient rectangular sponge rubber block including opposite end portions, each end portion having a substantially square end section, and said block including opposite side portions, each of said side portions having a substantially rectangular side section, the resilient block including a pair of peripherally extending slots, one of the slots of said pair of slots extending in each of the opposite side portions of the block, and said pair of slots extending into the end portions of said block and intersecting in a substantially right angular relation at the opposite end portions of the block of said substantially square section so as to effectively divide the block into four rectangularly shaped substantially square ended sponge rubber portions interconnected within the block by an inner resilient web portion, the rigid wire loop of the holder means being adapted to be selectively received in each i of said peripheral slots extending in the side and end portions of the block and positioned about the inner resilient web portion interconnecting with the block the four rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions of the block so that a work surface of one of said four rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions may be selectively positioned into an operative relation.

2. The combination defined by claim 1 in which said holder means includes a rigid wire loop adapted to be selectively received in each of said peripheral slots extending in the side and end portions of the block and positioned about the inner resilient web portion interconnecting within the block the four rectangular shaped sponge rubber portions of the block so that the work surface of one of said four rectangularly shaped rubber portions may be selectively positioned into an operative relation, the rigid wire loop including securing means extending from one side portion of the block through the peripherally extending slot in which said rigid wire loop has been selectively received and at a position substantially intermediate the opposite end portions of said block, the handle being operatively connected to the securing means of said rigid wire loop, and the pair of peripherally extending slots effectively separating the selected .one rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portion from other of said rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions, said other sponge rubber portions extending adjacent and along sides of the selected rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portion, and the selected sponge rubber portion being permitted by said peripherally extending slots to flex at the inner interconnecting resilient web portion relative to said other sponge rubber portions upon the work surface of the selected sponge rubber portion being operatively utilized.

ll I k 

1. In a device of a type including a resilient rectangular sponge rubber block, and rigid holder means including a rigid wire loop secured to a handle; the improvement comprising the resilient rectangular sponge rubber block including opposite end portions, each end portion having a substantially square end section, and said block including opposite side portions, each of said side portions having a substantially rectangular side section, the resilient block including a pair of peripherally extending slots, one of the slots of said pair of slots extending in each of the opposite side portions of the block, and said pair of slots extending into the end portions of said block and intersecting in a substantially right angular relation at the opposite end portions of the block of said substantially square section so as to effectively divide the block into four rectangularly shaped substantially square ended sponge rubber portions interconnected within the block by an inner resilient web portion, the rigid wire loop of the holder means being adapted to be selectively received in each of said peripheral slots extending in the side and end portions of the block and positioned about the inner resilient web portion interconnecting with the block the four rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions of the block so that a work surface of one of said four rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions may be selectively positioned into an operative relation.
 2. The combination defined by claim 1 in which said holder means includes a rigid wire loop adapted to be selectively received in each of said peripheral slots extenDing in the side and end portions of the block and positioned about the inner resilient web portion interconnecting within the block the four rectangular shaped sponge rubber portions of the block so that the work surface of one of said four rectangularly shaped rubber portions may be selectively positioned into an operative relation, the rigid wire loop including securing means extending from one side portion of the block through the peripherally extending slot in which said rigid wire loop has been selectively received and at a position substantially intermediate the opposite end portions of said block, the handle being operatively connected to the securing means of said rigid wire loop, and the pair of peripherally extending slots effectively separating the selected one rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portion from other of said rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portions, said other sponge rubber portions extending adjacent and along sides of the selected rectangularly shaped sponge rubber portion, and the selected sponge rubber portion being permitted by said peripherally extending slots to flex at the inner interconnecting resilient web portion relative to said other sponge rubber portions upon the work surface of the selected sponge rubber portion being operatively utilized. 